HP Envy 13 review: Redefining mid-range laptops in 2017

HP's Envy line isn't exactly known for pretending to be something it's not. It's seated below the Spectre line, and it should be. But the latest incarnation of Envy means even fewer compromises and a resulting computer that's going to give you a lot for what you'll be paying.

Something nicer:
HP Envy 13 (2017)

Bottom line: There's a lot to like in this mid-range laptop, and a lot of range in options, and price. Something for everyone, basically.

Pros:

Great look and feel.

Slimmed-down design for 2017.

Specs for days.

Cons:

No fingerprint scanner.

Only a single sticker to remove.

Trackpad is a tad laggy.

What you'll love about the HP Envy 13.3

This isn't your father's Envy. The aluminum/magnesium chassis gives a premium feel. The specs give you near-premium performance. And the options give you a price point that'll fit your wallet.

Form factor: Clamshell.

Display: 13.3-inch FHD touch (1080x1920).

Processor: Intel Core i7-8550U.

RAM: 8GB.

Storage: 256GB SSD.

Battery: 53.6 Whr.

Size: 12 x 8.5 x 0.55 inches (304.8 x 215.9 x 13.97 mm).

Weight: 2.91 pounds (1.32 kilograms).

Envy remains a pretty wide range for HP. The bottom end runs $879, and you can jack things all the way up to $2,129 if you want to get a little silly about storage space.

We tested the second of the Five Tiers of Envy, which lands at a perfectly resonable $1,049. And, actually, that top price is a bit of an outlier because of a 1TB SSD. So you're really looking at a $500 swing between models.

Here's how it all breaks down:

Price

$879

$1,049

$1,349

$1,399

$2,129

Processor

Core i5

Core i7

Core i7

Core i7

Core i7

RAM

8GB

8GB

16GB

16GB

16GB

Storage

128GB SSD

256GB SSD

256GB SSD

512GB SSD

1TB SSD

Display

FHD non-touch

FHD touch

FHD touch

UHD touch

UHD touch

Graphics

Intel UHD 620

Intel UHD 620

Intel UHD 620

NVIDIA GeForce MX150

Intel UHD 620

The 2017 Envy 13 is an iterative step from last year's model, and pretty much in all the right directions. The chassis is a mix of stamped aluminum and die-cast magnesium, and it looks and feels great. The keys have a good 1.3mm of travel, so you can really pound on them. HP's also added a home row on the right edge of the keyboard.

Everything's slimmed down, too. Smaller bezels on the display as well as the chassis, and the whole thing has a smaller footprint from last year by about a full centimeter. It's comfortable to use on a table (I love the slight angle the keyboard sits at when the display is opened, along with the rubber foot (leg?) that runs the width of the body. Everything stays where it should. A weight of just under 3 pounds is about what you'd expect for this sort of thing, too.

The FHD touch display I'm testing is good enough in the resolution department, and remember you can jump up to UHD if you want. Ports for days — a couple of USB 3.0, two USB-C, 3.5mm audio, and microSD card reader. That's not bad at all in something that's 13.95mm thin. Battery life is quoted as being around 14 hours, and if you're not pushing things to the limit that's not a bad estimate at all. The speakers are good. Not quite as bass-heavy as you might like, but it has a decent mix to it and gets plenty loud.

In a word? It's a solid laptop.

What you'll loathe about the Envy 13

There's not a lot here to gripe about. (That's a bad thing for a writer, and a good thing for you.) I'm not in love with the trackpad, I guess. That's often a matter of taste, and what you're used to. And proper typing posture helps, but I've found it to be just a little hesitant to get going. But once it does, it's pretty accurate.

I'm also missing the fingerprint reader. But HP had to leave something else for Spectre, and at the end of the day, you can only cram so many things into such a small space at such a good price point.

There's a smattering of bloatware preloads on the software side. That's not unexpected, though I am obligated to gripe about it.

Bottom line on the HP Envy 13

If I were looking at an everyday laptop, this one would be high on my list, if not at the top. It's the sort of thing you can pull out of a laptop bag without feeling bad about.

And, actually, that's maybe selling it short. It looks really good. It feels really good. It works great, and you've got options that all fall within a $500 window.

This is a very good thousand-dollar laptop. It'll be even better at $1,300.